Jul

22

Taronga Zoo

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Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney officially opened on October 7th, 1916. It is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in Mosman. Along with Dubbo’s Western Plains Zoo, Taronga is managed by the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales.

Divided into eight zoogeographic regions, Taronga Zoo is home to over 2,600 animals on 28.7 hectares, making it one of the largest of its kind.


History

The first public zoo in New South Wales opened in 1884 at Billy Goat Swamp in Moore Park, on a site now occupied by Sydney Boys High School. Inspired by a 1908 visit to the Hamburg Zoo,<ref>adb online</ref> the secretary of the zoo, Albert Sherbourne Le Souef, envisioned a new zoo based on the bar-less concept.

After realising that the Moore Park site was too small, the NSW Government granted 43 acres of land north of Sydney Harbour. A further 9 acres were later granted in 1916.


Exhibits


The early exhibits

  • The Giraffe House was completed in 1923
  • The Aquarium in 1927
  • Floral Clock in 1928
  • Tahr Mountain in 1932
  • The Tiger Pits in 1939

Under the directorship of Edward Hallstrom<ref>http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140412b.htm</ref> in the 1940s – 1960s several new exhibits were built including those for larger cats, koalas, apes and gorillas.


Later additions and changes

A critical review in 1967 led to a new emphasis on scientific conservation, education and preservation.

New exhibits were built starting with the Platypus and Nocturnal Houses, waterfowl ponds and walkthrough Rainforest Aviary. A Veterinary Quarantine Centre was built as was an Education Centre (funded by the Department of Education). Previous attractions such as elephant rides, miniature trains, monkey circus and merry-go-round gave way to educational facilities such as Friendship Farm and Seal theatre.


Current modifications

  • Taronga is continually undergoing redevelopment to close the old cramped animal enclosures and replace them with larger, more natural enclosures.
  • Taronga has received five Asian elephants from the Thailand Zoological Park Organisation for breeding purposes, education, long-term research and involvement of conservation programs. The plan has met opposition from environmental activists in Thailand, who blockaded the trucks hauling the elephants to Bangkok International Airport for their flight on June 5, 2006.<ref>National Multimedia</ref>
  • In February, 2003 it became the second zoo in Australia to breed the platypus.
  • A scenic cable car allows the visitor to get a good picture of the zoo and its surroundings. It runs from the bottom of the park close to the ferry wharf, and transports passengers to the top end of the zoo.
  • An Asian Wildlife section at Taronga, Wild Asia, opened in 2006.
  • A marine section, Great Southern Oceans, is scheduled to open in 2008.


Zoo Friends

Zoo Friends is an organisation which offers support in form of volunteers and fund raising for both Taronga and Western Plains Zoo. It’s a good way of getting behind the scenes at the Zoo and offers its members free Zoo entry. Members are also eligible to volunteer to help at the Zoo. More details at http://www.zoofriends.org.au


Animals and exhibits

Taronga Zoo has about 340 species and over 2600 individual animals. They are housed in a large variety of exhibits, including:


Wild Australia


Australian Wetlands

  • Black-necked Stork
  • Little Pied Cormorant
  • Brolga
  • Australian Pelican
  • Royal Spoonbill
  • Pacific Black Duck
  • Chestnut Teal
  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Australian Wood Duck
  • Australian Shelduck
  • Plumed Whistling Duck
  • Water Whistling Duck
  • Black Swan
  • Cape Barren Goose
  • Magpie Goose


Australian Walkabout

  • Red Kangaroo
  • Swamp Wallaby
  • Agile Wallaby
  • Red-necked Wallaby
  • Emu


Koala Encounters/Koala Walkabout

  • Koala
  • Short-beaked Echidna
  • Quokka


Platypus House

  • Platypus
  • Common Wombat
  • Water Rat
  • Spinifex Hopping-mouse


Australian Nightlife

  • Spotted-tail Quoll
  • Red-tailed Phascogale
  • Bilby
  • Long-nosed Bandicoot
  • Long-nosed Potoroo
  • Brush-tailed Bettong
  • Common Ringtail Possum
  • Squirrel Glider
  • Yellow-bellied Glider
  • Feathertail Glider
  • Greater Stick-nest Rat
  • Black-footed Tree-rat
  • Plains Rat
  • Spinifex Hopping-mouse
  • Ghost Bat
  • Tawny Frogmouth
  • New Caledonian Giant Gecko


Australian Rainforest Aviary

  • Rainbow Lorikeet
  • Musk Lorikeet
  • Eclectus Parrot
  • Australian King Parrot
  • Crimson Rosella
  • Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
  • Paradise Riflebird
  • Wonga Pigeon
  • Topknot Pigeon
  • Superb Fruit-Dove
  • Emerald Dove
  • Brown Cuckoo-Dove
  • White-headed Pigeon
  • Red-browed Finch
  • Blue-faced Parrot-Finch
  • Buff-banded Rail
  • Black-breasted Button-Quail
  • Regent Bowerbird
  • Eastern Whipbird
  • Noisy Pitta
  • Black-faced Monarch
  • Common Koel


Australian Bush Birds

  • King Quail
  • Painted Button-Quail
  • Green Pygmy-Goose
  • White-browed Crake
  • Banded Lapwing
  • Pacific Golden Plover
  • Black-winged Stilt
  • Laughing Kookaburra
  • Sacred Kingfisher
  • Forest Kingfisher
  • Rainbow Bee-eater
  • Pheasant Coucal
  • Glossy Black-Cockatoo
  • Musk Lorikeet
  • Little Lorikeet
  • Turquoise Parrot
  • Swift Parrot
  • Superb Fruit-Dove
  • Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
  • Wonga Pigeon
  • Topknot Pigeon
  • Emerald Dove
  • Bar-shouldered Dove
  • Peaceful Dove
  • Brush Bronzewing
  • Crested Pigeon
  • Noisy Pitta
  • Eastern Spinebill
  • Noisy Friarbird
  • Blue-faced Honeyeater
  • New Holland Honeyeater
  • Striped Honeyeater
  • Crimson Chat
  • Variegated Fairy-wren
  • Eastern Yellow Robin
  • Hooded Robin
  • Grey Shrike-thrush
  • Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
  • Silvereye
  • Clamorous Reed-Warbler
  • Eastern Whipbird
  • Diamond Firetail
  • Red-browed Finch
  • Plum-headed Finch
  • Double-barred Finch
  • Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
  • Satin Bowerbird
  • Regent Bowerbird
  • White-browed Woodswallow


Creatures of the Wollemi

  • Platypus
  • Short-beaked Echidna
  • Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby
  • Australasian Grebe
  • Hardhead
  • Masked Lapwing
  • Bush Stone-curlew
  • Little Pied Cormorant
  • Laughing Kookaburra
  • Sacred Kingfisher
  • Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
  • Gang-gang Cockatoo
  • Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
  • Eastern Rosella
  • Superb Parrot
  • Red-rumped Parrot
  • Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
  • Wonga Pigeon
  • Brush Bronzewing
  • Dollarbird
  • Figbird
  • Noisy Pitta
  • Superb Lyrebird
  • Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
  • White-browed Babbler
  • Satin Bowerbird
  • Regent Bowerbird
  • Striped Honeyeater
  • Regent Honeyeater
  • Diamond Firetail
  • Eastern Water Dragon
  • Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
  • Cunningham’s Skink
  • Eastern Water Skink
  • Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko
  • Eastern Long-necked Turtle


Helmore Parrot Aviary

  • Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
  • Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
  • Short-billed Black-Cockatoo
  • Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
  • Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
  • Gang-gang Cockatoo
  • Eastern Rosella
  • Superb Parrot


Backyard to Bush

  • Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
  • Red Kangaroo
  • Eastern Grey Kangaroo
  • Spinifex Hopping-mouse
  • House Mouse
  • Guinea Pig
  • European Rabbit
  • Sheep
  • Goat
  • Pig
  • Emu
  • Budgerigar
  • Cockatiel
  • King Quail
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Children’s Python
  • Diamond Python
  • Red-bellied Black Snake
  • Coastal Bearded Dragon
  • Lace Monitor
  • Shingleback
  • Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
  • Eastern Snake-necked Turtle
  • Green Tree Frog
  • Dainty Green Tree Frog
  • Green and Golden Bell Frog
  • Splendid Rainbowfish
  • Pacific Blue-eye
  • Red-backed Spider
  • Golden Orb-weaving Spider
  • Huntsman Spider
  • Bird-eating Spider
  • Wolf Spider
  • White-tail Spider
  • Net-casting Spider
  • Black House Spider
  • Daddy Long Legs
  • Desert Scorpion
  • Rainforest Scorpion
  • Praying Mantis
  • Black House Ant
  • Meat Ant
  • Grasshopper
  • Phasmids
  • Giant Burrowing Cockroach
  • American Cockroach
  • Centipede
  • Garden Snail
  • Mealworm


Penguins

  • Little Penguin
  • Fiordland Penguin


Seal Cove

  • Australian Fur Seal
  • New Zealand Fur Seal
  • Australian Sea Lion
  • California Sea Lion
  • Leopard Seal


Other Wild Australia

  • Dingo
  • Tasmanian Devil
  • Red Kangaroo
  • Eastern Grey Kangaroo
  • Tammar Wallaby
  • Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby
  • Goodfellow’s Tree-kangaroo
  • Emu
  • Malleefowl
  • Sacred Kingfisher
  • Eclectus Parrot
  • Red Lory
  • Rainbow Lorikeet
  • Purple-crowned Lorikeet
  • Red-rumped Parrot
  • Victoria Crowned Pigeon
  • Diamond Dove
  • Common Bronzewing
  • Blue-faced Honeyeater
  • Regent Honeyeater
  • Striated Grasswren
  • Saltwater Crocodile


Serpentaria

  • Freshwater Crocodile
  • Komodo Dragon
  • Mitchell’s Water Monitor
  • Short-tailed Monitor
  • Eastern Water Dragon
  • Coastal Bearded Dragon
  • Chameleon Dragon
  • Central Netted Dragon
  • Tawny Crevice Dragon
  • Frilled Lizard
  • Basilisk
  • Sailfin Lizard
  • Green Iguana
  • Rhinoceros Iguana
  • Fijian Banded Iguana
  • Fijian Crested Iguana
  • Gila Monster
  • Anaconda
  • Jackson’s Chameleon
  • Veiled Chameleon
  • Scheltopusik
  • Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
  • Night Skink
  • Hosmer’s Skink
  • Land Mullet
  • Cunningham’s Skink
  • Giant Cave Gecko
  • Rough Knob-tailed Gecko
  • Tuatara
  • Reticulated Python
  • Amethystine Python
  • Green Python
  • Boa Constrictor
  • Taiwan Beauty Snake
  • Rhinoceros Viper
  • Eyelash Viper
  • Egyptian Cobra
  • Corn Snake
  • Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
  • Taipan
  • Red-bellied Black Snake
  • Black-headed Python
  • Stimson’s Python
  • Collett’s Snake
  • Fierce Snake
  • Desert Death Adder
  • Broad-headed Snake
  • Arafuran File Snake
  • Star Tortoise
  • Elongate Tortoise
  • Matamata
  • Eastern Snake-necked Turtle
  • Northern Snake-necked Turtle
  • Broad-shelled River Turtle
  • River Cooter
  • Saw-shelled Turtle
  • Short-necked Turtle
  • Green Tree Frog
  • Red-eyed Tree Frog
  • White-lipped Tree Frog
  • Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog
  • Green and Golden Bell Frog
  • Cane Toad


Amazonia

  • American Alligator
  • Bolivian Squirrel Monkey
  • Cotton-top Tamarin


South American Aviaries

  • Brazilian Agouti
  • Green-winged Macaw
  • Sun Conure
  • Nanday Conure
  • Brown-throated Conure
  • Razor-billed Curassow


African Waterhole

  • Sun Bear
  • Pygmy Hippopotamus
  • Brazilian Tapir
  • Common Zebra
  • Giraffe
  • Bongo
  • Barbary Sheep
  • Ostrich
  • Egyptian Goose
  • Helmeted Guineafowl


Chimpanzee Park

  • Chimpanzee


Gorilla Forest

  • Western Lowland Gorilla
  • De Brazza’s Monkey


Wild Asia

  • Asian Elephant
  • Silvery Gibbon
  • Francois’ Langur
  • Fishing Cat
  • Binturong
  • Oriental Small-clawed Otter
  • Chital
  • Malayan Tapir
  • Grey-headed Flying Fox
  • Green Peafowl
  • Kalij Pheasant
  • Golden Pheasant
  • Red Junglefowl
  • Chukar Partridge
  • King Quail
  • Buff-banded Rail
  • Mandarin Duck
  • Ruddy Shelduck
  • Water Whistling Duck
  • Cattle Egret
  • Glossy Ibis
  • Royal Spoonbill
  • Sacred Kingfisher
  • White-bibbed Ground Dove
  • Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon
  • Superb Fruit-Dove
  • Nicobar Pigeon
  • Pied Imperial Pigeon
  • Red Lory
  • Figbird
  • Red-whiskered Bulbul
  • Metallic Starling
  • Clamorous Reed-Warbler
  • Pekin Robin
  • Tri-coloured Mannikin
  • Java Sparrow
  • Koi
  • Rosy Barb
  • White Cloud Mountain Minnow
  • Medaka


Jungle Cats

  • Fishing Cat
  • Asian Golden Cat
  • Northern Palm Squirrel


Tree Shrew House

  • Common Tree-shrew


Gibbon Island

  • Mueller’s Gibbon


Himalayan Mountains

  • Red Panda
  • Snow Leopard
  • Himalayan Tahr


Cats of Asia

  • African Lion
  • Sumatran Tiger
  • Indian Crested Porcupine


“Dog Row”

  • Dhole
  • Fennec Fox
  • Collared Peccary
  • Meerkat


Orang-utan Rainforest

  • Orang-utan


Bear Canyon

  • Kodiak Bear


Giant Tortoises

  • Aldabra Giant Tortoise
  • Andean Condor


See also

  • Western Plains Zoo
  • Taronga by Victor Kelleher, a work of fiction using Taronga Zoo as its setting


References


External links

  • Official website
  • Zoo Friends, a supporter of the Zoo, offers membership and volunteer opportunities

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